This invention relates to the field of agriculture, and specifically comprises new and useful apparatus for the handling of cylindrical hay bales.
For many years bales of hay have been rectangular, with two ties going around them lengthwise to keep them from disintegrating. Such bales are slightly more than a foot square, somewhat less then 3 feet long, and weight less than 100 pounds. Single bales of this sort are relatively easily handled by a workman without any special equipment, although in large numbers auxiliary apparatus such as conveyor hoists are welcome adjuncts.
In later times, there has been developed apparatus for producing cylindrical bales of hay in which the ties are circumferential. Such bales are relatively enormous: they may be up to 5 feet in diameter and length and 1500 pounds in weight. After making them the baler leaves them lying on their sides in the field. They obviously cannot be manipulated practically by hand. Our invention relates to means whereby such large cylindrical bales may be handled and transported.
In feed lot operation it is common to use one of these large bales by cutting its ties and simply unrolling it along the ground for livestock to eat. Our invention includes special lost motion means for facilitating the unrollment of such bales, to enable it to be accomplished automatically and more rapidly than heretofore.